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27/01/2016

Amiga Tinted SpecsListening to the Retro Asylum Commodore Amiga Bonanza podcast this morning I came over all misty eyed as I heard the members of the podcast panel take me back to the 90's Commodore Amiga scene, it really brought back home to me how cool the machine was and still is.With the Commodore Amiga, the scope for fun was limitless. You could play games, create music, draw things digitally, create games and all manner of other awesome stuff was easier to access than ever before.There was I with my perfectly formed Commodore Amiga 600 and its awesome 1 Meg upgrade.I could play all sorts of games and attach all sorts of peripherals to my machine to make it feel like I was at the centre of the gaming world of 1993.Commodore Amiga Set UpThe way I'd set it up was like I had my own office with my clear locked disk box to one side, my printer at the other side and the A600 taking pride of place in front of my CRT TV.The A600 was a nice size too which made it look even better. The A500 was a bit of a beast especially with the RF Modulator hanging out the back but I still loved it. My mate Paul had one and it was the reason I bought an Amiga in the first place.All this thinking about my wonderful Commodore Amiga 600 got me reminiscing about some of the coolest add-ons that made my Commodore Amiga experience one of the coolest things in 90's video games,Peripherals AssembleLet's take a minute to pay tribute to some of my favourite Commodore Amiga peripherals.. 1. Zip Stick This was the golden era of the joystick as the market was full of amazing looking joysticks, there was simply the most variety you could think of. There were joypads and and fancy sticks and things you held like a gun but with a joystick on top. For me the Zip Stick beats them all. It's very similar to the competition pro but had those awesome sticky feet which made it perfect for Kick Off 2 and Sensible Soccer. (Notable mentions go to Competition Pro 5000 and the Python 1)2. RF Modulator This looked a bit clumsy on the back of the Amiga but was every A500 owner's best friend. This block of white plastic that dangled precariously out the back of the A5OO meant you could hook your Amiga up to the TV with no problems but be careful not to knock the connection at a vital time of gameplay!3. Disk Box The disk box for me was a place where all of my good times were stored. It was chock full of disks and unfortunately I'm ashamed to say that most of them were copied. It was the done thing back then as an Amiga owner. Everyone had a copy of X Copy so naturally you always had a stack of blank Verbatim, 3M or Maxell disks to hand and they all ended up inside my locked disk box. My most prized possession that resided in that disk box was my 14 season Championship Manager game with Nottingham Forest, If only I still had that disk and my beautiful disk box!4. Amiga Mouse The Amiga mouse was a chunky beast of a mouse compared to today's mouse designs. It was a roller ball design which meant it would get very grubby on the insides so a clean was necessary most weeks. It was my first experience with a mouse but it felt so right. The mouse became an extension of my right arm in games like Monkey Island, Premier Manager and Indiana Jones the Fate of Atlantis. Quite simply the must have peripheral for ALL Amiga owners.5. Amiga Printer I owned a 'Commodore MPS 1270A Ink Jet Printer' and it was the first printer that I had ever owned. I treated it like it was made of gold! For me it opened up a whole new world Of printing. That came in the form of Championship Manager stats to take into school and then it led to me setting up my own play by mail football league in the playground of my school. It was amazing. It really got my creative juices flowing. It also added to the awesome look of my Amiga setup as it made it look so very professional. (From memory the ink lasted ages too)

These were the Commodore Amiga peripherals which brought me the most joy